Is a Meaningful Life Really Possible?

“The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow.”—Psalm 90:10, New International Version.

HOW true those words are! Life in this world is so often glutted with “trouble and sorrow.” Perhaps you have wondered, ‘Is it even possible to have a truly meaningful life now?’

Take, for example, Maria. She was always a very active person, but now, at the age of 84, she has become practically housebound. She is mentally active, but her body, it seems, no longer cooperates. How can she possibly feel that such a life is meaningful?

How about you? You may at some time have asked yourself whether your life is meaningful. Your work may be repetitive, tiring, and tedious. Your efforts or work may not be recognized. Even if you do have a measure of success, you may feel insecure regarding your future. At times, you may also feel lonely or depressed. Your family life may be marked by conflict and strife. You may have lost a loved one in death. A man named André was very close to his father, who suddenly fell ill and died. For André, it was a terrible blow, and it left a void that he feels will never be completely filled.

No matter what trouble we may face, there is something we desperately need to know: Is a meaningful life really possible? We can find the answer in the life of a man who walked the earth some 2,000 years ago—Jesus Christ. In spite of all the obstacles that confronted him, Jesus truly had a meaningful life. So can we if we follow his example.